Hextall optimistic about where Flyers stand

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall, here at his introductory press conference in early May, told reporters Tuesday that ‘we have a good team,’ a day after trading Scott Hartnell for R.J. Umberger and a 2015 draft pick. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

VOORHEES, N.J. — Flyers General Manager Ron Hextall met with reporters Tuesday to discuss this weekend’s NHL Draft. But with the specter of Monday’s Scott Hartnell trade still hanging over the room, the subject shifted from potential prospects to how Hextall will tinker with a roster that is once again tight against the salary cap.

Hartnell’s departure was not shocking in terms of production. He is a 32-year-old power forward with five years remaining on a contract that carries a $4.75 million cap hit. Hartnell has only twice reached 30 goals and 60 points in his 13-year NHL career.

The return — former Flyer R.J. Umberger and a 2015 fourth-round pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets — raised some eyebrows, however. Umberger is more versatile than Hartnell, but he is also 32 and carries a cap hit of $4.6 million.

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The deal offers little relief for a Flyers team that has just under $1.9 million to spend against the cap, the lowest number in the league. Roster change is inevitable.

Or so it would seem. Hextall echoed his predecessor Paul Holmgren when he assessed where the Flyers stand.

“I like our team. We have a good team,” Hextall said. “You look, and you say OK, a couple of our defensemen are getting up there. We all know that. We’ve got the young guys coming underneath.”

Hextall’s casual optimism is well within reason. The Flyers took the eventual Eastern Conference Champion New York Rangers to seven games before bowing out in the first round of the playoffs. No one would consider the Flyers a Stanley Cup contender just yet, but they are not all that far off.

“I’m not going to make a deal for the sake of making a deal. If something makes sense for us then we’ll do it,” Hextall said.

The GM has a playoff team. Production must yield production in any deal. Hextall sees little need to sacrifice a known commodity in favor of speculation, especially in a year with a weak free-agent class.

Furthermore, the lack of cap space allows Hextall to field offers from opposing GMs rather than pick out who goes and who stays.

“You can look at it another way. Teams might be looking to grab something off of you because you need relief,” Hextall said. “That’s kind of what I put out there. We need some relief, so if you have any ideas then give me a shout.”

Some of the same names keep coming up in discussions. Braydon Coburn has been linked in trade rumors for the better part of a year. With his size and mobility, he is a coveted asset for any team looking to bolster its blue line. The 29-year-old defenseman has two years remaining on a deal that will pay him $9 million over the next two seasons.

And then there is Vincent Lecavalier. The 15-year veteran hit the 20-goal plateau for the 13th time in his career in 2013-14. But he suffered through injuries and found himself on the fourth line by the end of the season, a sign of his diminishing production and failure to fit into head coach Craig Berube’s system. Lecavalier’s 37 points marked his lowest total since his fourth year in the league.

The 6-foot-4 center is the more likely of the two to move.

“I’ve had some discussions with the agent and I’m going to pretty much leave it at that,” Hextall said of the Lecavalier trade rumors. “That’s an internal issue that we’ll handle.”

In other words, the Flyers would be willing to part ways with the ex-Tampa Bay Lightning captain, again, if the right deal presented itself.

“I like our team and I like where this organization is at,” Hextall reiterated. “My focus every day is, ‘How can we make our team better?’ It might be with a meeting behind closed doors with staff or trainers or players or whatever it is. You just have to find ways every day to make the organization better.”